Hot chocolate is an all time comfort drink, so I wanted to create a recipe that stayed true to that feeling. Recently, our ArcheLoft curator, Maria, traveled down to Mexico and brought back some melting chocolates to make Mexican Hot Chocolate. She told me how much she just loved Mexican hot chocolate and what made it so special – depth in flavors and a smooth, creamy texture.

Finding inspiration in her story, I experimented with the flavors of Mexican chocolates and came up with The Sweet Maria, a drink that play on the personality of ArcheLoft’s Maria – sweet and comforting with a surprising amount of heat that is easily calmed with a bit of chocolate!

It’s all in the prep: I stew together cinnamon sticks with sweetened condensed milk, fresh chili peppers, almonds, and cocoa powder for a few hours until the mixture is creamy and thick. Half of this mixture is added to a cup and the cup is then filled up with creamy steamed milk, topped with cinnamon.